Some people have asked about the Clapham fire station, I don’t know to much about it, but here are the essential facts:
• Clapham is on a list of 17 stations earmarked for closure.
• 25% of fire cover in Lambeth will disappear forever.
• Station has been in Clapham for 150 years – what has changed to remove the need for a fire station?
• Busiest borough in London for residential fires.
• Amount of residents increased dramatically with new developments and many more proposed (Battersea Power Station and Tideway Industrial Estate)
• American Embassy on edge of ground – One of the biggest terror threats in the country.
• A fire doubles in size every 4 minutes – Time is of the utmost importance in life rescues.
• We also go onto other stations grounds – Just one high rise fire automatically takes at least four fire engines and an aeriel appliance leaving no cover.
• Scenes of riots demonstrated that we can be stretched too thin in such times.
• Only reason for closure is the value of the site – Should it not be based on risk?
• Brigade say that fire calls are going down – this is because of all the community work we have done, which would stop.
• Station runs the LIFE project – 500 young offenders have gone through with a very low re-offending rate.
• Junior Citizens: All school kids in the borough get vital safety advice in a safe environment.
• Location of station – On the main thoroughfare – a focal point for community and everyone knows where to come locally in an emergency.
• Fire cover is an insurance – you might not always need us but you always want us there.
• Price per household for a fire station is less than £1 per week (less than the price of AA)
• Will you get a council tax rebate for downgrading fire cover?
• Large multi-use station perfect for flexible uses that has received approx. £1m of refurbishment spent in last 10 years
• Income could be generated through other means such as ambulance share, flats above or buy selling the site and building a smaller station in a cheaper part of Clapham.
